The most meaningful time of the year
With only 45 days to go before Christmas, most people are already in a rush to finish their holiday preparations. Homes are being redecorated, with Halloween decors being replaced with the more bright and cheerful colors of Christmas. Ninongs and ninangs are checking their list of inaanaks, making sure no one gets overlooked. Barkadas are busy organizing their Christmas parties, booking venues ahead of everyone else. Kids are making sure their parents know they have mostly been nice and only a little naughty this year. Moms are finalizing their Noche Buena menu to make sure the family has a hearty Christmas Eve meal.
In short, everyone is busy in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and extending event up to New Year’s Eve.
With heads and hands full of things to do, to buy, and to prepare, it might be a good idea to take time to breathe and reconsider the real meaning of the season. Christmas is, after all, about giving— following the example of the Child who gave his life to the world on that silent and holy night. And what better way to practice the spirit of giving by thinking about our brothers and
sisters in Mindanao who have recently suffered because of the earthquakes that have plagued the island in the past weeks.
According to reports, survivors of the earthquakes in Mindanao— tens of thousands of people—are in need of bottled water, tents, ready-to-eat food (canned goods, noodles, etc), and medicine. But in the truest sense of the spirit of giving, everyone is encouraged to give whatever they can. Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations for our brothers and sisters in Mindanao.